This invention relates to prophylaxis for keratinous materials, and more particularly to novel cosmetic formulations for hair, skin and other keratinous body materials.
Recent research as reported in the literature has shown that hair and skin suffer substantial damage from many sources. Keratinous assemblies can be damaged by environmental influences such as ultraviolet radiation, exposure to chlorine, and/or pH extremes. Hair can additionally suffer substantial damage from mechanical insult from extension, torsion, bending, and compression forces sufficient to cause permanent deformation as well as chemical damage from hair relaxants, bleaches and colorants, and even shampoo ingredients. This damage can range from depletion of endogenous and exogenous lipids and lipid complexes to structural damage such as the physical damage previously mentioned.
Since the present invention is particularly directed to compositions for treating hair to prevent damage thereto and/or to help restore healthy hair which has been damaged, the invention will be discussed in detail hereinafter by reference thereto.
Formulations for treating hair are of course well known in the art. For example, the shelves in pharmacies and other stores selling personal care items are replete with shampoos, conditioners and the like which are said to provide certain beneficial results. While by no means intended to represent a complete survey of the hair treatment products currently available, the following may be taken as illustrative: HUILE d'ALES (Laboratoires Phytosolba of Paris, France), a base of essential plant oils said to be used for dry, damaged hair; PHYTOSQUAME (Laboratoires Phytosolba) stated to contain an ingredient, Chaulmoogra oil, for its anti-exfoliation property; "COLORVIVE TECHNICARE" of L'Oreal which is said to repair frayed ends; "RAVE" of Cheesebrough-Ponds, said to be an all-in-one shampoo for cleaning and conditioning damaged, permed or colored hair; Freeman Botanical Hair Therapy Shampoo for dry, brittle or damaged hair (Freeman Cosmetic Corporation); "Infusion 23" of Duart Laboratories which is said to protect hair cuticles against split ends; so-called "hot oil" formulations such as "Alberto VO5" hot oil shampoo of Alberto-Culver which references U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,150 to be discussed hereinafter; and "Faberge Organics" of Faberge Company which is said to penetrate the hair shaft to build stronger hair within.
While a discussion of the ingredients listed on the containers of the above-mentioned products would render this description unnecessarily prolix, mention of the "Faberge Organics" product is of interest for its detailed formulation: water; cetearyl alcohol; cetyl alcohol; cetereth-20; panthenol; hydrolyzed animal protein; isostearyl ethylimidonium ethosulfate; dimethyl lauramide oleate; honey; wheat germ oil; stearalkonium chloride, hydroxyethylcellulose, dimethicone, citric acid, fragrance, methylparaben, DMDM hydantoin, Red 4, and Yellow 10.
The patent literature is also replete with many hundreds of references to hair preparations. A LEXPAT (trademark of Mead Data Central) patent data base search for "damaged hair" revealed 105 hits. While not intended to be illustrative of the state of the art, the following is a sampling of the aforementioned 105 "hits".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,150 of Dasher et al (and recited on the label of the Alberto VO5 product mentioned above) teaches a pretreatment preceding shampooing with anionic type hair shampoos, which pretreatment utilizes readily water-soluble quaternary ammonium compounds in combination with oils and other supplemental ingredients.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,345 issued to Ralph Kelly and assigned to Cincinnati Milicron Inc. relates to compositions for retarding chemical damage to hair having as protective agents organic compounds containing at least two or more polar groups, e.g. carboxyl groups, which are separated by at least 15 atoms the majority of which are carbon atoms and preferably containing a cyclic moiety of at least 5 atoms, e.g. the dimer of linoleic acid.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,774,075 and 4,828,819, each to Lang et al and assigned to L'Oreal) disclose compositions for the treatment of keratin materials containing a specified class of bis-(quaternary ammonium) derivatives.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,545 issued to Wisotzki et al discloses a composition for the regeneration of hair split ends in an aqueous or aqueous/alcoholic solution or emulsion containing panthenol, at least one mono- or di-saccharide, and, optionally, polyvinylpyrrolidone and/or a triol.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,059 of Grollier et al and assigned to L'Oreal relates to a composition for the treatment of keratin substances containing at least one amphoteric polymer having (A) units derived from a monomer containing at least one basic nitrogen atom; and (B) units derived from an acid monomer containing one or more carboxyl or sulphonyl groups, or alternatively, A and B can denote groups derived from zwitterionic carboxybetaine monomer; A and B can also denote a cationic polymer chain containing secondary or tertiary amine groups having a carboxyl or sulphonyl group joined via a hydrocarbon radical, or, alternatively, A and B form part of a chain of a polymer with alpha, betadicarboxyethylene units, in which one of the carboxyl groups has been reacted with a polyamine containing one or more primary or secondary amine groups, and at least one cationic polymer of the polyamine or poly-(quaternary ammonium) type, containing amine or ammonium groups in the polymer chain or joined to the latter.
From the foregoing survey selected at random it will thus be abundantly clear that the hair treatment art is an exceedingly crowded art with a wide assortment of ingredients asserted to be effective.
Notwithstanding the current state of the art, there still remains a great need for improved procedures for protecting keratin-containing substances, particularly hair, against damage and to help restore the damaged keratinous substances to a healthy condition.
Stated simply, it is to this task to which the present invention is directed.